Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Shermy & Shake, the Not-So-Bossy Best Friend
Kirby Larson · 2026
76/100
👍 Worth It
Kirby Larson knows how to write friendship that feels true for 6-to-9-year-olds, and this third Shermy and Shake installment handles disappointment and divided attention with a gentleness that never feels preachy. The episodic structure and low drama are features for emerging readers who need low-stakes entry points into chapter books. Not groundbreaking, but reliably warm and well-crafted for its age group.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety98
substance70
craft78
originality65
accuracy82
hype65
age-fit90
human-eye75
Penny’s verdict76
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